


You Can't Explain

by Writingwife83



Category: Sherlock (TV)
Genre: Drama, Established Relationship, F/M, Humor, Molly Is Patient, Romance, Sherlock Is A Bit Not Good, Songfic
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2015-11-30
Updated: 2015-11-30
Packaged: 2018-05-04 03:21:51
Rating: General Audiences
Warnings: No Archive Warnings Apply
Chapters: 1
Words: 1,490
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/5318546
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/Writingwife83/pseuds/Writingwife83
Summary: <blockquote class="userstuff">
              <p>Sherlock and Molly are finally a couple, but Sherlock is using a slightly unconventional method to ensure that his new relationship is a success. Molly is less than thrilled when she figures out what he's been doing. It's time for Sherlock to learn that he needs to use his head a little less, and his heart a little more.</p>
            </blockquote>





	You Can't Explain

**Author's Note:**

  * For [Selena_Guardi](https://archiveofourown.org/users/Selena_Guardi/gifts).



> This is based on a prompt from selenaguardi on Tumblr, who wanted a fic based on "Science and Faith" by The Script. It really is quite a perfect song for them, and specifically Sherlock. This was where my mind went with it automatically...

Sherlock winced as the slam of the door hit his ears. This was decidedly…not what he thought a relationship with Molly Hooper would be like. And he honestly thought he was doing so well up till the night before!

It had been over a month, and Sherlock had been making considerable effort to ensure that he and Molly would remain happy together. He'd never done this before of course; this being in a relationship with someone. He had been so sure he never would, but Molly Hooper seemed to have a way of uprooting the things he thought he knew about himself. And unexpectedly he found himself admitting that he wanted to be with her as much as she wanted to be with him. And despite her hesitance at first, Sherlock assured her that he wanted this. After that big moment, Sherlock had set out to make sure that things went  _just right._

But it seemed that plan had backfired.

It was honestly a surprise to him. Molly was a doctor, a woman of science! How could she not appreciate the logic behind a method like this? Yet somehow, when she'd discovered all his charts and spreadsheets, she'd taken it rather badly…

* * *

" _Sherlock Holmes, what are these?!" Molly demanded as she threw a bunch of papers down on Sherlock's laptop keyboard._

_Sherlock glanced at them and then back up at Molly. "Just some of my findings," he said casually._

" _On me, you mean!" Molly clarified for him._

_Sherlock chuckled, looking over the papers. "Well, to be precise, no not just on you. They're to do with multiple aspects of our relationship, and I do believe that involves me as well. I'm tracking my own behavior just as much as yours," he said, giving her a smile. That smile faded quickly though, as he saw how red her face was._

" _Sherlock…you can't- I mean, how could you even think-" She struggled with the words, obviously unable to articulate her horror. Finally she sighed loudly. "Not good, Sherlock!"_

_Sherlock frowned. "But…why? Look at this data!" He took out the spreadsheet dated from the previous week. "I've charted all the notable relationship related things that you and I do in these columns, and then I record the reactions in these columns. I come out with a very comprehensive overview of what you and I each most appreciate, and then the following week I'm able to duplicate the things that produced the most positive reactions! I thought boyfriends were supposed to pay attention!" His voice was beginning to rise, more annoyed than confused now._

" _Yes, Sherlock! But not like this! This feels like a- a- a study or something! You know, this all makes sense now. I was wondering why you kept making little notes and things while we were together, and muttering 'fascinating' to yourself at odd moments when we were supposed to be simply enjoying each other's company." Her expression fell and she looked into his eyes, unknowingly breaking his heart. "This hurts a little, Sherlock," she said softly._

_Sherlock sighed in exasperation, despite his compassion for her. "I still don't understand! How does this hurt you when I'm simply trying to do the right things at the right times?!"_

" _Because, Sherlock," she said forcefully, stepping forward and touching her pointer finger to his forehead. "It's coming from up here! You turn everything into science and chemicals, actions and reactions! That's not how this works," she said gesturing between them. Then she placed her hand over his heart and spoke with a shaky voice. "It's supposed to be coming from in here."_

_Sherlock stared down at her, wide eyed and dumbstruck._

_Molly swallowed hard and paused. "Sherlock, I thought you wanted this. But you have to want it for the right reasons," she said softly. "This is about how we feel. That's what matters. It's a relationship! That shouldn't involve charts and findings…it's communication and listening and learning. This…" She gestured to the papers. "This isn't what happiness is built on."_

_She turned away and went for the door, clearly on her way to the spare bedroom upstairs. "Sherlock, what if you can't make this whole thing logical? What if you can't…explain it?" she asked sincerely._

_Sherlock said nothing; still staring at her and unsure of how to respond when he was still trying very hard to simply process all of it._

_Molly looked down for a moment, realizing that she couldn't expect an answer in this moment. "Maybe you should think about that, Sherlock. Because if you can't explain us…do you still want us?"_

_She walked away before he could say anything. And if he were honest, he still didn't have the words anyway. Perhaps it was best if he listened to her, and took some time to think._

* * *

That was the previous night. Today, Molly had gotten up, got ready for work, said nothing to him, and then left the flat. Sherlock let her go, not attempting to talk or rehash the argument at that moment. He knew by now that he'd made a rather large misstep, and now it was just a matter of getting back on track. As he sat there after she'd left the flat, he glanced at the charts left on his desk. Perhaps there was still something useful he could do with these. Just one last thing.

* * *

Molly had just placed a sample in a slide and was positioning it in the microscope when the lab door was flung open and Sherlock came charging in, making the two interns jump out of their skin.

"Sherlock, what are you-"

"I had to bring these!" Sherlock announced, holding up the papers that Molly immediately recognized.

She huffed out a sigh. "Sherlock, I don't want to see those right now. I don't think this is the right time to argue about-"

"I'm not here to argue!" he said firmly, clearly making her stop in her tracks and listen. As Sherlock went on, he softened his voice, despite speaking with conviction. "I'm here because I want you to know that I'm sorry. I didn't know what I was doing…I still don't. I have never done this before and the last thing I wanted was to do it wrong. I thought I could track everything and plan everything and avoid a mistake. But in doing so…I admit I may have missed the point." He took a deep breath. "But no more!"

Sherlock went over to a nearby table and grabbed a handheld blow torch.

"Wait, you can't use that right here!" one of the interns yelled. "You have to go in the-"

"Oh relax!" he scoffed and then looked back at Molly. "No more of this Molly, I promise. I may not know what I'm doing…but I do know that I love you. And that's enough."

Molly cracked a smile, a little distracted and overwhelmed by her boyfriend's romantic declaration…and forgetting to confirm and repeat what the intern had already tried to say.

Sherlock turned the torch on and lit the papers in his hand. "See, Molly!" he said holding them up proudly. "No more charts and track-" His words were cut short as water suddenly spurted onto his head from above. He looked across the lab, both he and Molly agape and shocked by the sudden cold water from the sprinklers on the ceiling.

As the fire alarm began to sound and the two interns fled in flailing distress, Molly and Sherlock turned to each other and couldn't avoid bursting out laughing.

"You idiot!" Molly said through her giggles.

Sherlock crossed the room, laughing right along with her. But the moment he reached her, the laughter stopped. They simultaneously grabbed each other rather roughly and began snogging like a house…or rather…a bunch of papers on fire. The sprinklers and alarms were promptly forgotten as Sherlock hoisted her up onto the table she'd been working at and continued kissing her. He finally pulled away after a moment, needing to say more.

"Can you forgive me?" he asked breathlessly, raking fingers through his hair to push his now damp curls out of his face.

"Yes, yes!" Molly said sputtered out and pulled him back in for another kiss. Though, another second later she pulled away as well. "I'm sorry too! I got mad, but I didn't think about the fact that you were just trying to make this work in your own…crazy way! I love you so much!"

Sherlock dove in and kissed her again, both of them done thinking and talking, wanting nothing but to just…feel.

"Hey!"

Sherlock and Molly turned, staring through the still sprinkling water at the security guard in the doorway.

"You mind explaining what's going on here?!" the man demanded.

Sherlock turned back to Molly and smiled at her affectionately. "No…I can't explain it," he whispered. "And I don't need to."


End file.
